


Sinner or Saint?

by TwilightsPrince



Category: Psycho-Pass
Genre: Eventual Fluff, Eventual Romance, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Kidnapping, Minor Kougami Shinya/Tsunemori Akane, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Plot, Suggestive Themes, Sybil System (Psycho-Pass)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-28
Updated: 2020-06-28
Packaged: 2021-03-03 01:53:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,680
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24116815
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TwilightsPrince/pseuds/TwilightsPrince
Summary: AU when Yuki dies Makashima decides to take Akane as his next piece in the game.Inspired by a fanfic that was never updated.
Relationships: Kougami Shinya/Tsunemori Akane
Comments: 10
Kudos: 67





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Note: I'm American and thus do not speak Japanese nor am I very educated with the terms used in Japan (i.e San, Chan, Kun, etc) but will do my best to try too stay accurate to both the characters and the culture..

She was standing there, paralyzed with fear. The man on the railing above her held one of her best friends and the dominator refused to work. Everything felt like it had happened so fast, it felt like just days ago she was sitting at the table talking to Yuki-chan and the struggles of becoming an inspector and now she's face to face with a known criminal that can't be read by the Sibyl System with no backup. Her body was shaking and she vaguely heard the man's voice but most of all she was focused on Yuki. How she screamed and the terror in her eyes, looking at Akane like a savior when in reality all she was is a newbie detective scared out of her wits. . 

The sound of metal hitting metal startled her out of her daze and she rushed forward to grab the heavy weapon. It was nothing like she had used before and it felt so unnatural compared to the dominator in her other hand. "Let Yuki go now!" She shouted, her voice sounding shaky. 

"What's wrong?" the man taunted, "if you don't hold the gun steady, you'll miss me."

Her hands were shaking so badly she could hardly aim. Truth be told she didn't even know how to aim with this thing so she just pointed and pulled the trigger. She was so shaken by the sound and kick of the first shot she didn't even take the time to adjust her aim, firing again and missing him completely in the process. And with nothing more than the sounds of the echo blast she realized she had lost one of the few friends she had. Akane dropped the bulky gun and stumbled backward, part of her wanting to run so she didn't have to bare witness to it but she would not allow that to be the last thing Yuki saw. 

"How regrettable," he said flatly. "How very regrettable Inspector Akane Tsunemori" His tone and expression was ice cold as he yanked the brunette back by her hair, exposing her neck. 

"No! Akane, help!" Yuki begged through her tears. 

"You disappointed me, so I'll have to give you a punishment." 

"Dnn't. Please!" Akane screamed, she felt like she was going to be sick, this couldn't be happening, none of this was supposed to turn out this way. 

"Regret your helplessness and feel despair."

She lifted the dominator up, aiming it at the man again in a desperate attempt to save Yuki. " _crime coefficient 0. Not a target for enforcement action. Trigger will be locked."_ The device said and she felt dumbfounded. How could it not read him? "Stop!" She screamed desperately, tears welling up in her eyes. But he looked at her with his bright cold eyes and a bored expression as he put the blade to Yuki's throat, slicing a clean, deep, gash on her neck. Her friend's eyes went wide before she dropped. The handcuff on her wrist being the only thing from her completely hitting the floor. 

There was a loud, blood-curdling scream and honestly Akane didn't even realize it was her own voice until she had to gasp for air. She had dropped to her knees, holding the dominator loosely in her hands as she stared at the ground. The faint metallic tap of the blood dripping down on the walkway below her friend was the only sound to be heard. 

She sat there for who knows how long in shock. _Makishima_. The man who can't be judged by Sibyl… The man who plagued Kogami now had set his eyes on her. She hadn't noticed the tapping sound grew louder and out of rhythm, she didn't feel the vibration of the grates until it was too late. "Don't fight, it's better if you don't." Came a quiet voice and she looked up to see him staring down at her, a cloth in his right hand. He bent down and placed it over her mouth and nose. In hindsight she should have fought, there were a million other things she could have done besides sit there and stare but it didn't feel real. _He_ didn't feel real. And by the time she began to realize that _this_ was real, her head became dizzy and she couldn't see straight. She tried to yell again but it was muffled and her arms felt like lead. Then there was nothing. 


	2. White Wolf

Her headache, her body felt sore and she was disoriented. When she tried to move she realized she was tied to a chair, her wrist tight behind the back of the chair and her legs tied firmly to it's legs. When she opened her eyes her vision was blurry and she had to blink several times to get it to adjust. The room was dark and it was hard to see but slowly she lifted her head up. Her neck was stiff from being in the same position for too long but she ignored the pain, rather focusing on the man who sat in front of her with one leg crossed over the other, dressed more like a fancy aristocrat than a cold blooded killer. Oh how looks could be deceiving. Especially with those bright eyes and that stupid smile of his. 

"Glad to see your awake, inspector." He said in a calm, almost soothing, sounding voice. 

She was still in a daze, trying to figure out how she ended up here again until the memories came flooding back. Yuki. 

She was dead. And he had killed her. 

Akane wanted to cry, she wanted to sob, but she didn't want to show this man any weakness, she didn't want to give him any power. "Why?" She asked, trying to sound stern but it was evident she was on the verge of tears. "Why me? Why Yuki?" She asked. 

"Why not?" he said simply, tilting his head to the side, observing her. "There is something fascinating about humans and seeing how far you can push them."

"So that's it?" She scowled, "This is just a game to you? You want to see how far you can push people?"

"I want to see what people do once Sibyl is taken out of the equation," 

"You're a monster" Akane said weakly, biting down on her bottom lip and looking away from him as tears threatened to run down her face. 

He stood up and walked over to her, kneeling down so they were at eye level. He grabbed her by her jaw, forcing her to look him in the eyes, "by whose standards? Yours?" He said with a raised brow. 

"You have the ability to create good in this society and yet you choose to harm others for your game." She shot back at him, her pain turning into anger toward the man. "There are others who work so hard to do what is right despite what Sibyl sees them as." She felt angry for the first time in a long time. He had hurt so many people and he didn't even care. Ended so many innocent lives… How could someone do that and not feel any remorse or guilt?

Makashima wore a slight smirk at the girl's words. "I see why Kogami takes such an interest with you." 

Her eyes went wide at the realization. This had nothing to do with her, it wasn't her he was after. She was just bait. "What does taking me have to do with him?" 

"Sweet Inspector" he purred, bringing his face so close to hers that she could feel his breath on her face. Akane tried to pull away but he held her jaw firmly, keeping her close. "How does a man react when he's faced with losing everything he's ever loved?" his bright brown eyes felt like they were burning into her soul, the smug look on his face never wavering. "How will his soul look when it's all over?" 

He let go of her jaw, standing up. "I'll bring you some water," he said before heading out the door. 

She was gone. Like she had vanished from thin air. There was no trace of her or Makashima. The police bots had scanned the area up and down and they had confirmed that she was by Yuki's body but after that the trail went cold. Scanners didn't pick up on anything outside of the place nor did anything alert them of an increase in psycho pass like if someone saw a woman being kidnapped. For the first time in a very long time he felt this dread in the pit of his stomach. What was he going to do with her?

  


* * *

  


"Karanormori is keeping an eye on the street scanners." Ginoza muttered dryly as he walked along side Kougamis' stretcher as the droids took him to the infirmary. If he was honest he was only half listening. Already focused on ways to try and track Akane down. "Chief Kasei wants us to remain put until we have a confirmed lead."

"What?" He shot back. "He just murdered somebody and took our inspector." Shinya would have shouted if he wasn't in so much pain. And his ex-partner just let out a heavy sigh. 

"I'm aware. But without a lead, it's too dangerous to blindly run around. What if our actions have consequences?" 

He heard the hesitation in his friend's voice and he knew what he was implying. Makashima was cold, calculated. If they ended up doing something without being just as cautious, it could cost them Tsunemori's life. "Keep me updated. I don't want to be kept out of the loop because of a few bullet wounds."

Ginazo let out a small huff. "Rest. The faster you heal the faster you can get back to work."

* * *

  


While he was gone she took the time to observe the small room. The only object in the room besides her was the chair Makashima had been sitting in. There was a small lightbulb illuminating the space and the walls were made of old bricks with a concrete floor. It felt humid and cool and Akane figured that meant this was some sort of an old basement. Perhaps a wine cellar? She pulled on the ropes that had her wrist bound but it was too tight and the rubbing of the robes on her wrist grew painful. 

She let out a silent huff, taking a moment to try and calm herself. If she got too worked up or started to panic it was going to make it a lot more difficult to think straight and figure out a plan to escape. Perhaps her hue should have been of more concern to her but being kidnapped by a psychotic man was much more of a priority at the moment. 

She shifted a bit in the chair, moving her body weight from side to side but the chair didn't budge and it remained firmly to the ground. So that idea was out…. 

A creaking sound came from the door slightly off to her left and she suddenly felt more alert, watching the metal door creak as it was opened up, revealing the white haired man. He held a glass of water in his right hand and wore a blank looking expression. Akane did her best to study him, trying to figure more of this man out to gain an advantage. 

Makashima walked up to her, putting the cool glass against her lips, "drink." He said firmly. She wanted to ignore him out of spite but honestly she was thirsty. Akane took a few good gulps before he pulled the glass away, setting it down on the floor. He sat back down on the chair, crossing one leg over the other as he observed her. "You are calmer than most." He stated, sounding almost… Curious? 

She kept her mouth shut even though she wanted to make some remark back to him. This wasn't a game and she wasn't in a position to be antagonizing someone. Could she even reason with a man like him? Could she try? "Are you going to kill me?" She asked calmly, ignoring the dread she felt. 

"That would be a waste. There is no lesson to be learned if I kill you."

She furrowed her brows, and that dread turned into anger, grief. "But there was with Yuki?" 

He gave a curt nod, leaning forward in his chair. "You blindly do what you are told. Even when you are forced to make your own choice; you still failed." Makashima said dryly. 

"So you're going to keep me tied up in this chair because of it?" 

He let out a soft huff, almost seeming like a small chuckle from him. He stood up from his chair, pulling the razor out from his pocket and opening it up. Akane tensed, growing stiff has he walked around to the back of her chair. He sliced through the ropes around her wrist, not even managing to cut as he did. The bonds fell away and she lifted her hands, rubbing at the raw part of her wrist. The ropes that bound her legs to the chair were also cut and she took the opportunity to stretch her legs. Everything was stiff from sitting in the same position for so long. 

When he was done he came back around to stand in front of her. "We're going to play a game, Inspector." he said cooly, extending the hand that held the blade towards her. "Take the blade and try to escape or leave it. If you leave it I'll promise not to harm you as long as you obey me."

Akane looked down at his hand, the razor was open. His other arm was behind his back and he looked compeletly at ease. This was a test. It wasn't a matter of whether or not she believed his promise or the chances of actually escaping. It was about what choice would she make….

She glanced up at the man for a brief moment before looking back down at his hand. 

She grabbed the blade. 


	3. Please

She took the blade from the palm of his and immediately went for his throat with it. Makashima didn't tempt to grab her, merely ducking out of the way and taking a step to the side. He had placed himself between her and the door so there was no other way beside going through him. He eye'd he but still made no attempt to come after her. Akane took this time to look him over, trying to decide what would be the best way to go about this situation. They were about five feet apart and it was both too close and not enough.

She lunged toward him again with one last attempt at his neck. His left hand grabbed her by the wrist inches before the blade cut his throat and the right had grabbed her by the neck. With a quick twist of his hand, pain shot up her arm from the way he bent it and it forced her to drop the razor. He slammed her into the brick wall behind her, knocking the air out of her lungs. The hand around her neck made it hard for her to breath but he didn't completely block off her airway. He used his body to keep hers pinned to the wall, leaning his head down to brush his lips against the side of her jaw. Akane shivered, stiffening under his hold.

"You impressed me, Inspector." He whispered against her ear, "I figured you would have taken the easy way." He let go of her neck to grab her jaw, pulling away to meet her gaze. His golden brown eyes always managed to seem so beautiful which made them even more unsettling. "But try that again and I assure you, you will be leaving here with more than just a few bruises." His voice was cold and he took a step back before backhanding her hard. The pain along with the force caused her to stumble to the ground. Her eyes began to water from the sting and she brought one hand up to hold the side of her cheek. Makashima was still staring down at her, letting out a quiet huff before he turned back to pick up the blade, heading out of the room.

At least she wasn't still tied to the chair. She slumped down to the floor, laying the wounded cheek down on the cool concrete in an attempt to soothe it. She felt exhausted, she had no idea how much time had even passed from Yuki's death until now. Was it days? Or just hours? The hunger she felt along with the exhaustion seems like it had been at least a day. What was Ginazo-San doing right now? Was he made that she had gotten herself captured, was the team worried for her and looking? Or did they just assume he killed her…  
She shut her eyes, managing to drift off to sleep out of pure exhaustion.

When she woke she felt even more sore than before from laying on the hard ground but she didn't let it bother her. She managed to get on her feet, walking over to the locked door to examine the handle. It seemed like a simple lock, nothing complex or high tech. If she had some tools she may have even been able to pick the lock but there was nothing in the room besides the two chairs and glass of water Makashima had brought. Curiously she pressed her ear to the door to see if she could hear anything. A soft humming sound came from the pipes in the walls but there were no voices or footsteps she could hear from this side. Sighing, akane pulled away, picking up the glass of water off the floor and gulping the clear liquid down. When she was done she pulled the cup away to examine in. She could break it and hide a shard up her jacket sleeve. But would it be worth doing so if she failed to free herself? What would he do if she didn't get away?

Akane decided it was best to try than not too. She hit the end of the glass on the chair, causing three large shards to break off of it. She picked up one that stuck out and was more jagged than the other two before putting the left over shards back into the cup and sitting it under the chair Makashima sat in. Out of site, out of mind.  
A small creak alerted her and she quickly put the shard up her jacket sleeve, nearly cutting herself in the process. She stepped back from the door, looking over expecting to see Makashima but it was a different man this time. His narrowed on her and they gave off an unnatural appearance. Brown hair came down to hang over the left side of his face but it didn't cover his features. His features were sharp like Makashima's but the man looked slightly older and didn't give off the same feel as him. Out of instinct she took several steps back, putting a good amount of distance between her and the man.

"So you're the inspector I've heard so much about." His voice was deeper as well and he took several steps forward, toward Akane. He wore a small smirk and his hand came up to grab her by her chin, pulling her closer so he could examine her. "You're practically a child."

Ignoring his comment, she glanced over to the door to see that he had left it ajar. This would be her best chance and probably the only chance she'd get. Quickly she pulled the piece of glass out from her sleeve, holding it tightly as she stabbed him as hard as she could in his side, right under his ribs. The man let out a grunt of pain, doubling over and she bolted for the door. Akane threw it open, not knowing where she was going besides away. The room just outside the door was similar to the underground structure they had found Kogami and Yuki at. The walls were all concrete and both to her left and right had storage boxes and other things locked up behind chain fences. The lights on the walls were dull and some even flickered and she imagined this place had been abandoned and forgotten a long time ago.  
She spotted an old door not too far ahead and she continued to it. The man wasn't far behind, she could hear his footsteps chasing after as she made it to the second door, busting through it. She was facing another concrete wall and a quick glance to the right and left confirmed the only way there was to go was left. Akane slammed the door shut behind her, hoping to slow him down as she sprinted down the corridor. The hall was dark with only flood lights illuminating it and with seemingly no end to it, she did her best to run as fast as she could.

The further she got, the darker it seemed to get and her footsteps echoed loudly against the floor. Akane started to make out a dark silhouette shape in the distance and she squinted her eyes, trying to make out the figure. She already had a feeling of who it was but she wasn't going to be deterred. Soon she could make out the white hair and light colored clothing of the figure and his features were as calm as ever as they drew closer to each other. She glanced back behind herself but she couldn't see the man yet she could hear his footsteps echoing along the floor not far behind. Her breathing grew labored and she was already getting tired from the lack of food and sleep but she wasn't going to make things easy for him.

When she was several yards away from Makashima that's when he took off sprinting towards her. He dropped to his knees, sliding one leg out to try and catch her by her feet be she dove into a roll. Having enough momentum to come up out of it with ease and continue running. If she was in a different situation she would have been proud of herself for how well she executed the move but for right now, she just wanted to get the hell out. She didn't bother to look behind her to see where he was at. He was quick, he had made it to his feet by the time she came out of her roll and she could already sense he wasn't far behind. There was a dull light at the end of the hall and she hoped it was the outside. It grew brighter with each step and if she could just make it to there then a scanner could pick her up and at least alert the team to where she was at.

A hand clamped down on her upper arm like a vice, using their momentum to slam her hard against the wall. He used his body to pin her in place, wrapping his hand tightly around her throat. This time there was no room to breathe and she stared into his cold eyes as his grip continued to get tighter. Akane gasped and squirmed, hands reaching for the one wrapped around her neck "Please" she whispered. Was this how she would die? With no one around to ever know what had happened to her. Is this what all his other victims had felt like?  
Her ears began to ring and her vision grew fuzzy. Her lungs burned and she kicked, clawed, tried her hardest to fight off her attacker but it was no use. Again, everything went to black.

* * *

When he was finally released from the hospital there had been no new leads. Makashima had vanished yet again, taking another one of his people. It had been a few days and he was sure he was about to lose it on someone if Ginoza told him one more time to be patient and wait. He wasn't the only one anxious to get a lead but he felt like he was the only one who understood how dangerous this man was. And every moment that ticked by was another one closer to finding the inspector dead.

"Relax, Ko." Kagari said, leaning back in his chair with his hands tucked behind his head. "She's smart. She'll know how to keep herself alive."

"Or get herself in more trouble" he retorted as he sat down at his desk, bringing his computer to life. Kogami brought up the only image they had on the man taken from an old scanner years prior. He vaguely remembered seeing the man walk passed, too weak to even understand what was happening. If he had been smarter and hadn't gotten shot things would have turned out differently. Akane would have her friend and she would be here working on the next case. Loud beeping suddenly echoed throughout the building, a sign of stress levels increasing and all the enforcers jumped to their feet immediately.

Ginoza quickly got to his feet, pointing at Kagari and Kunizuka, "you two, with me" he said before redirecting his attention to the older enforcer. "Masaoka make sure Kogami doesn't get any ideas while I'm gone."

"You can't be serious." Shinya said irritatedly as Ginoza was already heading out the door followed by the enforcers.

"Sorry, Ko." Kagari said with a small shrug, giving him an apologetic smile on his way out of the room.

Kogami grabbed his pack of cigarettes. The day had just barely began and already he needed a fucking break. He headed out to the terrace to get some fresh air, lighting a cigarette on the way. The rooftop always seemed to help clear his thoughts a bit and it was quiet, away from others. After a small walk from their office he reached the terrace, walking over to the edge to lean against the railing. It was cold outside and the clouds made the day seem dreary. He looked over the city and couldn't help but have his thoughts drift back to the young inspector. Why did this feel so different? She was his teammate, of course he wanted to find her but he never felt this ache in his chest.

When Sasayama went missing it was difficult and he did everything in his power to try and find the enforcer in time. And while he considers the days of the search and discovering his friend's body to be one of the hardest things he's ever gone through, he didn't--couldn't imagine finding Tsunemori like that. The idea made him want to get sick and he had never been a squeamish person.

"What's running around up there?" Masaoka asked as he walked up beside Shinya, patting him lightly on the back. "If we weren't late criminals I'd ask about your hue." The old man joked.

Kogami took a long drag of his cigarette before pulling it away, blowing out the smoke as he thought over his words. "I feel like I'm repeating the past. Only it's worse." he muttered.

Masaoka sighed, leaning against the railing as well. "I want to say we'll find little Missy in time but I can't promise that to you, ko. But Kagari is right, she's smart. We have to trust that she can hold on until we find her."

Kogami scoffed, taking the cigarette and throwing it over the edge as he shook his head. "This is a game to him. And she'll live as long as it remains entertaining. But what happens when he grows bored? He's not going to let her go, he's proved that with Akane's friend."

The older man looked over at him with a raised brow, "Akane-Chan huh? You have a thing for the little miss?" He asked casually.

Shinya let out a sigh, looking up at the clouds. "I don't know what it is pops. But the idea of finding her like the others…" His voice drifted off. "I can't go through that."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter ended differently than I intended But I like it better this way. Also, the man Akane stabbed was Choe Gu-Sung


	4. Choices

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I keep writing Ko's name Kougami (How it's actually spelled) and Kogami (How America spells it) because my autocorrect keeps changing it and I can't remember what I originally started off with so I apologize if his name varies threw the series.

Something was coming and all the hounds knew it. They could feel it in the air, it was an electric feeling like lightning before it struck. The latest case; a man who wore a helmet to hide his hue while brutally murdering people put everyone on edge. That was what caused the stress level increase and it only made kogami more concerned for the missing inspector. There was no way he was working alone, this had to be another scheme from Makashima. 

How many more helmets were out there? And what was the plan? This only made things more complicated for the MWPSB and with Division 1 down a man, it only made it harder. Akane had been missing for four days now. 

He walked into Shion's lair, twirling a cigarette between his fingers. He wasn't sure exactly what he was doing but sitting around, fidgeting at his desk was growing pretty old. "Anything new?" 

"Hm, someone is getting ancy" the blonde said as she spun around in her chair to face him, a lit cigarette hanging out of her mouth. "You're usually never in here unless you need something from me, Ko."

He gave her a small smile, leaning back against the arm of the couch in the darkly lit room as he crossed his arms. "Sure it isn't because I just want to see your pretty face, Shion?" 

She snorted, taking the cigarette out of her mouth and blowing out smoke, "now you're just trying to butter me up. If this is about Tsunemori-San then I'm going to have to disappoint you." She said sadly. "I've been doing my best but until he makes a move, we don't have any clues."

"I know." He let out a sigh "I wanted to see if you could update me about the helmet incident."

She raised a brow, putting her cigarette out in the ashtray before turning back in her chair to face the computer, bringing up the image of the man with the helmet. "You think they're related?" 

"This isn't some coincidence--" his wrist watch began the obnoxious chirping it did when he got a call and he brought his watch up to see who the caller I.D was. "What?" he muttered when he saw the picture of the young brunette along side the name; 'INSPECTOR TSUNEMORI'

He braced himself for the inevitable, it wasn't going to be her voice that he heard when he answered it. 

He pressed a button, accepting the call. "Hello?" he asked dryly. 

"Shinya Kougami." A smooth male voice came through the speaker of his watch. "I believe I have something that belongs to the MWPSB."

"Where is she?" Ko growled, "this isn't some game I'm going to play with you, Makashima."

"We're always playing in the game that is called life, Enforcer. Some of us just choose to act more freely than others with it." He said cooly, "I'm calling to strike up a deal between you and me. No MWPSB, no Sybil system. Just you, and me, Shinya."

The enforcer looked over at Shion. She looked worried and she muttered his name under her breath, a warning. He was dangerous but all that mattered to him was finding her and ending this man. "I'm listening."

"In twenty-one hours the MWPSB will have their hands full. Giving you plenty of time to slip away and find me where we'll discuss things in person. I'll send you the location when it's necessary."

"This deal already seems one sided." Ko said dryly. He could be walking into a trap but he doubted Makashima wanted to finish him that easy. 

"You don't have room to bargain. And if you bring anyone else with you, the inspector will die. I'll see you soon, Shinya." and with that the call ended. 

"Ko." the blond said slowly, hesitantly as she watched him. "You need to be smart about this."

"I know." he said as she sat down on the couch, lighting the idle cigarette in his hand. "There is a bigger reason than him wanting a deal. But I can't not show up. Not when it's her on the line"

Shion gave him a sad smile "I won't tell. But I can keep an eye on things from here. Let the team know if things go bad."

He sighed, taking a drag of the cigarette "Thanks, Shion-Chan." 

"You got it bad, huh?" She asked in her usual teasing tone, giving him a slight smirk. "I can see it in your eyes, Shinya-kun. You like her."

"I don't know how I feel towards her." he admitted "I just know I can't let Makashima take another life." He looked up to see her face, still wearing the small smirk across her pale features. "She's an inspector." He stated that Shion wasn't already well aware. "I'm just her haunting dog."

The blonde woman snorted, "you don't actually believe that do you?" She sighed, shaking her head "When we get her back I promise to set you two up on an all night stakeout." She said, giving him a wink. 

He actually felt his cheeks grow warm and he glared at the woman, "Don't. I don't need you trying to play matchmaker."

"Oh, but it's so fun." She said with a grin before turning back to her computer. "I have to get back to work. You should start preparing."

He nodded and got up from the couch, putting out his cigarette into the Ashtray. "I'll bring her back." He swore before making his way out of the dark room. He wasn't going to let this man take another thing from him. 

* * *

When the riots started Ko knew this was what the man had planned. He did his best not to look anxious as he rode in the back of the van with the other hounds but Masaoka was too observant. He kept shooting him a glance every now and again as they headed further into the city where the heart of the riots were. He had told no one about his plan and if Akane was right, which he assumed she was, then he was going in unarmed as well. Chief Kasei had briefed them on what to do and had given them EMP grenades but it wouldn't help his situation. Makashima didn't need a helmet.

When he felt the vehicle come to a stop, he along with the other hounds got to their feet. "Ey," Kagari said, stretching his arms above his head. "Time for us to have some fun." He said in an upbeat tone. 

"Stay alert, son. This isn't another one of your video games." Pops chimed in as the doors to the vehicle opened. They were met with crowds of people both wearing and not wearing the helmets attacking one another. Trash from the tipped over trash can littered the streets as groups of those not wearing the helmet attacked a single man who was wearing one. It was one giant mob scattered all through the intersection they had parked in. The MWPSB really were going to have their hands tied with this one. Even when they gained control the fallout of the situation would last for days if not weeks. 

"Let's move." He said as he ran down the ramp, grabbing the dominator from the cart as the others followed. 

"This is the MWPSB stand down now or we will be forced to take action" Gino-san's voice blared out from the car he was in but no one stopped or even acknowledged that they had heard it. He felt the soft buzz of his wrist con before hearing the chirping of his device and Kogami didn't need to look down to see who it was. 

He looked to Masaoka on his left. "Cover for me." He said before taking off to the right, towards an alleyway. He could hear the man call after him but there wasn't any time to explain. Once he was out of eyesight he opened up his wristcom to see an address from an unknown number. He tapped on it to bring up a small holo of a map with his location along with the addresses. The place was about a fifteen minute walk from where he was and from the looks of the map, it looked like some industrial warehouse. 

Kogami gave a brief glance to the entrance of the alleyway before taking off in a full sprint. Makashima was near and he was finally going to meet the man who had haunted him for the last three years, face to face. He wasn't some ghost story, he was real. And he had the inspector in his grips. 

Maneuvering around the riots proved to be easy and difficult at the same time. It made a great distraction for the hound to run off but there was the occasional hiccup where one helmet head with a bat or a kitchen knife tried to come at him for fun. On any other day it would have been fun to get into a fist fight with these assholes but for today he settled with a snap of the wrist or a hard kick to the gut to knock them off balance. They weren't his priority. He glanced down at his watch to see how far he still was from the warehouse. Eight minutes. He needed to pick up his pace. 

His com went off again and he looked down to see Gino's profile. Shit. He didn't have time so he ignored the call, running down the littered streets until he hit the more industrial area. He brought up the map again and made a right. He was coming up on it and so he pulled out his dominator. It would be useless but it felt wrong not having something in his hand. Cautiously he entered the old warehouse, easily pushing past a broken door. He listened to anything out of the ordinary. It was dark, the only light coming from broken windows at the top that the city let in. The floor was concrete and he took note of the faint sound his steps made as he entered the main room. He scanned the area with the dominator but there was nothing. Nobody. He let out a heavy sigh, lowering the gun as he began to walk further into the place. A small plastic bag caught his eye on the ground and upon picking it up he found a small black drive inside. 

He took one more cautious glance around before pulling it out and linking his wrist device up with it. A small audio recording began to play "I'd be disappointed if you really thought I would be there." the all too familiar voice said. "But I'm going to give you a choice. This file holds the location of your Inspector as well as my location. You'll have thirty seconds after this recording ends to make a choice on which path you want to take. Fail to do so and the drive will erase itself. Once you choose, the location of the other will be erased. So I suggest you choose wisely, Shinya." The audio clip ended and the Holo brought a small timer along with Tsunemori's name and Makishima's.

With a time constraint it was hard to make a clear choice. Everything inside him yelled at him to go after Makishima. If he killed the man, he could save the inspector. Everything would be over. But if he failed…. 

Ko shook his head. No, he wouldn't fail. He'd kill him and get Tsunemori. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I feel like it's a bit OOC for Ko to choose Makishima's over Akane. Even until the end he was always very careful about putting his goal of killing Makishima above anyone else. (Being upset Akane did the memory scan, wanting to help Yuki when he could have left her, etc) but for the sake of the fic I had him make this choice. And I hope I can make it less OOC by him finding away to justify it too himself.
> 
> Thanks for reading so far!


	5. Despair

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Near the end this took a sort of dark turn. Nothing happens but threats are made so there is a slight TW with Makshima and Akane.

She finally stopped tasting blood which she figured was a good sign. Her body ached and she felt weak, he was only giving her small amounts of food and water, just enough to keep her going. 

When she woke after her failed escape attempt Makishima was right there waiting. He had broken her right wrist as punishment and hit her right in the jaw. He could have easily broken it but he wasn't using all of his force and Akane was at least grateful for that.

She realized that she was slipping in and out of consciousness at times. Which was probably for the best. But it also made it hard to track the time, how long had she been trapped in this room? A day or two? Several? She had no way of knowing. Time was no longer a concept to her. Somehow she managed to get enough strength to sit herself up against the corner of the room. Her wrist ached in protest but her face thanked her for it. 

Hearing the creaking of the door caused her to tense, knowing what was to come. Her eyes are the only thing that moved as it was pulled open, the white-haired man walking in. He had his usual flat expression but to Akane's irritation she had seen his face enough to see the faint glimmer of excitement in his eyes. He looked more disheveled than usual and there seemed to be a fresh bruise along his temple. He had walked over to her, kneeling down on one knee infront of her with his hand loosely draped over the other as he looked her in the eyes. He had a habit of getting uncomfortably close to her, something she thinks he did just to put her on edge. "It seems you aren't as important as we previously thought." A smug smirk tugged at his lip and he reached out his hand to brush a piece of hair behind her ear. And before he said anything else she already felt like she was about to break down into tears but she refused.

"I gave your hunting dog a choice." He said quietly. "To save you or go after me and it seems he found me to be the better choice. Unfortunately he failed his objective." The only giveaway that he was enjoying this was in his eyes. His expression and mannerisms were very controlled and she wondered why he cared so much to hide his amusement from her. 

Akane just stared at him, trying to process what he was telling her. "He could have saved me?" her voice sounded raw and weak and she hated it. 

Makishima nodded "I wonder if that makes me the master. Having so much control over someone that they can only focus on finding their way back to the one who created them." he muttered, a small smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. 

She felt her bottom lip quiver at the thought of nearly being found. Only to be passed up for the man in front of her. Was she really that worthless to him? To the MWPSB? Was no one ever going to come for her? Akane had managed to put on a brave face for so long, she had managed not to shed a single tear in front of this man but now she could no longer hold it back. Her eyes began to water and her throat hurt from trying to hold back the sob. She wasn't going to be found, she was going to die here and no one was ever going to know… 

She had expected him to mock her tears but he didn't comment on it. He stood up, looking down at her. "You still have potential" he muttered before he turned his back toward her, heading toward the door "We will be leaving soon, Akane-Chan." His voice sounded gentle and that sent a chill down her spine. He had something planned for her.

* * *

Bright lights beamed down on him and the familiar smell of the sterile environment filled his nose. He didn't need to open his eyes to know where he was at, in fact he would have been happier if he didn't wake up. Not only had he failed to get Makishima but he also failed the inspector. Ko opened his eyes, letting the fluorescent lights blind him for a brief moment before he adjusted to them. And to his luck, he wasn't along. Gino was leaning against the wall across from his bed with his arms crossed, glaring at him over his glasses. 

"Come to put me down, Inspector?" He asked dryly. 

"You idiot! You nearly got yourself killed" He sneered, "and we still aren't closer to finding her."

Shinya looked away from his old friend, memories of the previous night slowly coming back to him. He had underestimated Makishima and after suffering some small wounds from some of the men in helmets he almost ended up dead for the second time in the past few days by this man. But again, he let Ko live, telling him they weren't done yet before he blacked out. Gino must have found him sometime after that. "What are you going to do with me?" he asked. 

Ginoza scoffed, shaking his head "Nothing. Chief Kasei doesn't know you ran off. And seeing as you filled us in on the attack on Nona Tower I see no reason to report to her about what happened." He pushed his glasses further up the bridge of his nose as he walked over to Ko's bedside. "And Kagari is missing. I don't have the luxury to lose another person at this point." 

Kogami frowned "What happened to Kagari?" 

"He went into the basement after the other culprit and we lost touch with him. Chief thinks he ran off…" 

"He wouldn't have." Kogami said firmly. Sure the kid hated Sibyl but he wasn't dumb enough to run off. And if there was anything Kagari hated more than the system it was someone killing innocent people.

Gino looked away, crossing his arms, "I know. But try explaining that to the chief. He was under my watch so it's my responsibility to find him." 

Shinya sat up despite his ribs and arms aching in protest at the added weight. "And what about Tsunemori?" 

"Division 3 will take over the case. We'll assist as backup if necessary." Ginoza tried to hide the bitterness in his tone from Ko but it was clear how he felt. This was a slap in the face to both of them. This was their case, their inspector. Everything they worked on had been leading up to this man for months and now it was just going to be handed over? 

He threw the covers off of himself, swinging his legs over to the side of the bed. He could already feel his body protesting before he even made it to his feet but he ignored it. Ginoza placed a hand on his shoulder, trying to stop him from getting up but he angrily slapped it away. "I'm going to find her." He growled. 

"No. You're not. You're going to help me look for Kagari." He said as he tried again to push the enforcer back into bed but this time he was shoved away as Ko got to his feet. 

"We're not going to find him. Whatever he found, obviously Sibyl didn't want him to see it." 

Gino looked shocked and he shook his head, adjusting his glasses "You don't know that. The Chief says he's missing."

"yeah" Ko spat, looking around for his shirt. "And she also had you erase the logs the inspector's Dominator reported to us."

"We don't know for certain that it was Makishima she had a read on." He retorted and that only made the Enforcer more angry. 

"Then tell me how the hell she was taken? And why was there an empty shotgun at the scene?" He nearly shouted at him. "Yuki's body was on the catwalk above where the gun was found, she would have had a perfect shot, Gino. And you know it." 

The inspector grit his teeth, clenching his fist. "You think I'm happy about all of this? We don't have any other choice!"

He had more to say but instead he remained quiet. If he wasn't going to be of any help, he'd do it on his own. "Fine." Ko scowled, pulling on his shirt "Let's start the search for Kagari so we can get back on the case."

* * *

She didn't remember falling asleep. Nor did she remember the ground having a soft hum to it. Akane slowly came to, realizing she wasn't in the cell at all. When she opened her eyes she was staring at the grey fabric of a car seat in front of her. Blinking several times she looked over to the left to see the white-haired man in the driver's seat of the car. Her small form was draped over the back seats of the car. When had he moved her? 

She didn't attempt to sit up but glancing toward one of the windows she saw the clear sky. No sign of tall buildings or highways. The sun had begun to set and now was starting to shine through the front of the car, giving everything a golden hue. She looked back over to Makishima who seemed unbothered by the light. His bright hair looked even brighter with the sun. "Good evening, Inspector" he didn't even glance her way, eyes still focusing on the road. 

"Where are we going?" She asked, her voice sounding hoarse. 

There was a slight twitch at the corner of his mouth as he glanced briefly back at her. "Did you know that as an inspector the Sibyl System gives you all kinds of access to things?" 

Akane was hoping he would elaborate further but he didn't. "They will notice." She said weakly, shutting her eyes once again. 

"They will." He agreed, "but it will be more than enough time." She felt the car come to a slow stop before he turned off the ignition. He grabbed a small duffle bag from the passenger seat before getting out, and opening the rear door. She didn't want to move but she knew if she didn't it was probably going to be more painful for her. 

Having a broken wrist didn't make it easy either. Slowly she propped herself up on her elbow, grabbing the edge of the car's seat with her left hand to pull herself into a seated position before scooting out the side until her feat met the gravel on the ground. Her skirt was hyked up past her upper thighs and as much as she wanted to remain modest, it wasn't the priority when you're being held hostage. 

She slowly put weight on her feet as she stood up and she felt herself get lightheaded. The ground under her felt like it was swaying and she took a step in an attempt to steady herself but it only made things worse. She felt her body heading toward the ground but before it made contact with the rough gravel he had reached out to catch her. 

For a cruel moment her mind told her it was Kogami's hands that had wrapped around her. His arm wrapped carefully around her waist, the hand grabbing hold of her arm. But she was immediately brought back to reality with the glimpse of white hair in her preferral vision and the faint scent of Lavender instead of cigarette smoke. No, Kougani wasn't focused on saving her but on killing him. "Am I going to have to carry you?" he asked and there wasn't any emotion betrayed in his tone of voice. 

"If you fed me more I wouldn't be so lightheaded." She managed to get back to her feet and steady herself but to her annoyance he kept the arm around her waist. 

He didn't say anything to her, continuing to pull her along. Akane glanced up from the gravel road to see a rundown looking shack. It didn't seem very big and it was well boarded up with the wood paneling a dark grey color. She took notice of the mountains in the distance behind the shack and the green pastures that covered the area they were in. Wherever he took her, they were far outside Tokyo. Her heart sank as the chances of being found grew dimmer and dimmer. She was weak but if she could knock him out, get the keys. She would be safe. 

He walked her up to the porch. The floorboards creaked under their weight. His hand unwrapped from her waist as he walked up to the boarded up door, kicking it in. The noise of his actions caused her to jump. Makishima grabbed her by her upper arm, pulling her along, into the small shack. Despite the extorter the interior looked better kept. The entrance went into the living area where there was a small couch and lamp on the right. To her left was a small kitchen area that looked as old as her grandmother and ahead of her was a small hallway leading to a single room. "What is this place?" She asked. 

"Somewhere the Sibyl System isn't." He said flatly as he closed the door, dropping his bag onto the ground, letting go of her arm to walk passed her down the hall. 

Akane took the opportunity to go to the kitchen, looking around at the bare counter tops for something she could use. Quietly she pulled an old drawer open. There were a couple of loose screws, an old chopstick but not much else. She glanced back over to the living room before closing it again and moving to the next draw. Thankfully the old wooden floor creaked and she could hear him in the room down the hall. After having no luck with the draws she checked the cabinet under the sink and found an old wrench. It was a decent weight and size, the hardest part would be striking him hard enough. 

The small memory of her and Kougami sparring together briefly came to her. She was small and he told her to use that to her advantage. And if she was aiming at someone to strike at the weak points. Throat, temple, jaw, behind the ears. But being up against someone like Makishima it was much more difficult. And if she failed again…. Was she prepared for what could come? She shook her head to clear her thoughts. It was either escape or die trying. He would kill her one way or another. 

The creeks of the floorboard grew louder and closer. She quickly tucked the wrench into the back of her skirt, letting the white button up shirt cover it. There was a chance of him seeing it if she turned so she would have to be quick. She walked out of the kitchen, looking down the hall to see him. "How long are we going to stay here?'' The question was more to do with stalling on her part as she took in his build. He was around the same height as Kougami and she had landed some decent shots on him in their sparring match. 

She saw the faint tug of a smirk on his lips as he stopped walking, analyzing her. "You're too easy to read, inspector." He said cooly. 

She furrowed her brows, "What do you mean?" 

He huffed in amusement as he started walking towards her. He knew. She could tell by the way he walked towards her that he was prepared for an attack and she inwardly cursed. She took a few steps back, eyes shifting to the small kitchen before she ran into it. It wasn't going to be much help but it took her out of the line of sight and gave her time to pull out the wrench, gripping it tightly. As soon as she saw him appear from the corner she swung the wrench as hard as she could at his head. Immediately he ducked, bringing his forearm up to block the strike. His left hand reaching out and grabbing the wrist that held the tool. With a sharp tug he pulled her forward, sticking out his leg to trip her. Akane landed hard on her right side, causing her to let out a cry of pain from the broken wrist. She went to roll on her back but he grabbed her by the base of her neck, kicking the wrench away as he shoved her onto her stomach. Her wrist trapped underneath her. 

He straddled her, putting most, if not all, of his weight on her body and she clenched her teeth in pain, eyes beginning to water. She felt his lips brush up against the shell of her ear and she shivered, trying to squirm away but he only gripped the back of her neck tighter, holding her in place. "I don't see any benefit to forcing one's self onto another. But if you attempt something like that again, I'll show you how some of my other predecessors kept their victims quiet." He whispered into her ear. "Am I clear?" 

She swallowed hard, nodding. "Yes." She said in a weak voice and she felt his weight lift off of her. He grabbed her by her arm tightly, pulling her to her feet as he led her down the hallway into the small bedroom. There was a twin size futon on the floor but other than that the room was pretty much bare. A door to the bathroom was on the left and there was a small nightstand with a lamp in the corner. 

"Shower. I'll bring you some food." he said as he pushed her into the room, closing the door behind her. At least this was far better than the cell. 


	6. Frankenstein and the Monster

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've bumped up the chapter count seeing how this one was taken up mostly by dialogue and I'm not quite where I want to be for me to be able to wrap it up in such sort time.

She had remained quiet after that. Unless she was found, there was no way she would be able to escape on her own. She wouldn't risk it. She had been lucky that his treatment of her so far was decent compared to the dark things he suggested. Her body was growing weaker and she ached all over. Her fighting skills were decent but they were no match compared to his even if she was at her peak. 

Akane showered for the first time in six days. The first time since Yuki died… Does her family know? Has she already missed the funeral? She silently began to cry as the warm water ran down her body. She could wash away all the dirt but she couldn't wash away the memory or the sound of blood hitting the ground. She wrapped her arms around herself, closing her eyes tightly. As if she could wish the world away. Why her and why Yuki? If there was one bright side to this it was that it was only her suffering at his hands and not anyone else. 

She cried all that she could before shutting off the shower and wiping away her tears. She wrapped a towel around herself before stepping out. Sitting on the counter was a V neck long sleeve blouse in an off white color. Underneath was a pair of dark green pants; the material felt stiff but still soft. The style of the clothes looked similar to his own and she wondered if they were his. The thought made her uneasy but she wasn't for putting back on the skirt and blouse. 

Another unnerving thought crept into her mind, she hadn't even heard him come in. Had he heard her crying? She also could have sworn she locked the door… she shook her head, dropping the towel as she began to get dressed. Both the blouse and the pants fit her well and after crying it out in the shower she felt a little better. She still had hope. Maybe she wouldn't get free of him but she may be able to stop whatever he is planning.

She stepped out of the bathroom where she found him sitting in an old chair, reading a paper book. She was surprised to see the book in his hands, no one besides-- Besides Kougami read paper books anymore. Akane didn't like the thought that the two of them seemed to have more in common with one another. "Beware-" he spoke out loud, his eyes still focused on the pages of the books. "-for I am fearless, and therefore powerful." He shifted his gaze up to her, closing the book and setting it on the nightstand as he. "Have you ever read Frankenstein's monster?" he asked. 

"I believe we talked about it in grade school. But I haven't personally read it." She muttered. She knew of no one else that would make casual conversations about literature with their captives. 

"It was written by Mary Shelley when she was only eighteen. It is thought to be one of the first science-fiction novels." He stood up from his chair, walking towards her. "The novel focuses on the ideas of free will vs fate. The will of one person versus the fate of another…" He placed his hand under her jar, tilting her head to look up at him. She hated it when he did this. A reminder that she held no power in her current position. "Do you believe in fate, inspector?" 

She thought about her words carefully before replying "I do. I believe fate and free will are carefully intertwined. We all have a path drawn out for us but our choices ultimately make up where we go." 

"Do you see Sibyl as fate?" 

"I believe some do. But I believe it's simply a tool to help us. There are flaws, it's not a perfect system but it's a necessary one."

He huffed, staring at her for a long moment. She didn't try to turn away or avert her gaze, instead she glared back at him in defiance. "it's rare to see someone's soul without having to tear away the confines of Sibyl." he released his hold on her jaw, stepping away "If you remain of interest, I may just keep you alive." he stated before making his way out of the room, shutting the door behind him. 

The red covered book was still sitting on the nightstand and she walked over, gently picking it up. It was plain besides the Katakana lettering on the front reading: Frankenstein. Having nothing else to do Akane sat down in the chair and opened it up, beginning to read. 

* * *

They had left before the sun even rose. He bounded her hands behind her back, putting her in the passenger seat as he drove. She had been fed for once but that was about the only good thing she had going for her. She had the feeling that she was coming up on the end of her time with him. Makashima was an unusual man, someone who was complex and lacked empathy but his words were good at deceiving others, and he was good at judging. That's what amused her. For a man who could not be judged, he did a lot of it. He was the Sibyl system of his world. Deeming people worthy or unworthy by their actions, letting those that entertained or intrigued him live. 

That part did worry her. She didn't want to die but she didn't want to remain his prisoner…

"What will you do with me when this is all over?" She asked, staring out the window of the car. She could see her reflection in the glass. There were bags under her eyes, her cheeks looking hollow and her skin seemed more pale than usual. She looked older, no longer the young twenty year old who was excited about her new life as an inspector.

"Kill you, record it, and send it to Kougami." He said flatly. "keep you, use you for my own needs. Let you go, let you live to see what you had a hand in doing." He shrugged. "There are numerous options."

Akane didn't reply, closing her eyes and leaning against the window. Maybe if she fell asleep she could drift off and just not wake up. That seemed like the best way to go. Her parents could grieve knowing she wasn't in any pain when she left. No one would have to see a recording of her dying and he wouldn't be able to continue along with his plan. She drifted off, her mind thinking about her grandmother and her parents, how worried they must be for her. 

She woke up due to the jolt of the car stopping. Fields of rice covered the area as far as her eyes could see and infront of her was a gate, inside was the entrance to the big concrete building several stories high. Makishima grabbed his bag as he got out of the car. Walking over to her side he opened the door and pulled her out by her arm. What was he planning on doing? They were in the middle of nowhere with nothing except for-... Japan's source of food. He was going to try and tamper with it. Akane tugged against his grip, trying to get free of his hold on her. He pulled her in front of him, the other hand grabbing her by her neck. "Remember what I said about trying to escape?" 

"We both know the clock is ticking." in other words, he had no time. He was still being hunted and chances were that as soon as he made her override security the MWPSB would be alerted. And for Akane, there was no other option than to stop him. No matter the cost. 

He let go of her neck before slapping her. It felt more painful than the previous time and she landed on the gravel road. He pushed onto her stomach with his foot, stepping on the bound wrist that was broken. Akane let out a loud cry of pain, gritting her teeth. "Perhaps I'll keep you for myself." his tone was dry and he removed his boot, pulling her back onto her feet, leading her toward the metal gate. There was a touch panel on the right and he brought her over to it. There was a retinal scan and it scanned her left eye once she was pulled in front of it. 

"verification confirmed; Inspector Tsunemori Akane." The female voice spoke and the gate began to withdraw. Makishima pulled her along, heading to the entrance of the building. From what she learned in school, this facility was self sufficient. There wasn't a single human being for miles meaning it was the perfect place for him to do this. Once inside he led her down a series of corridors. How long had he been planning this? He had never been inside yet he yanked her around, knowing exactly where he was headed. Another turned down the hall and he led them to the room at the end. There was a control panel and a glass window showing off automated machinery. The room itself was dark but the light from the other side of the glass illuminated the place. He walked over to the control panel where there was an empty chair, setting his duffle bag down he sat down in it. His arm wrapped itself around her waist, pulling her onto his lap. 

Akane tensed up as the hand on her abdomen forced her to lean back against the murderer. Her hands were still bound behind her, putting pressure on the broken wrist and she struggled to relax in such an awkward position. He removed his hand from her abdomen as he leaned forward, beginning to fiddle with the controls, changing the settings in which the hyper oats were produced. She tried her best to watch and understand in hopes of being able to undo what he was creating. But being so close was unsettling and it made it hard to focus. She felt his breath against the exposed skin of her neck, she could feel the rise and fall of his chest, smell the faint scent of lavender on him. It was all a reminder that this monster was flesh and blood just like her. "Are you Frankenstein or the monster?" She asked, breaking the silence between them.

There was a brief pause before he replied. "Who do you see me as?" 

"The monster." She stated. "Going after your creator for dooming you to this fate. But the difference between you and him was you had a choice, a chance to be better. The monster was never given that and that's what makes you truly a monster."

"There is always a choice. He could have chosen to remain alone but instead he chose to feed off of his anger and hurt toward his creator and used that for his sense of purpose. What is life without a purpose?" 

"Sibyl gives people a purpose."

"Sibyl takes away your right to choose. When you choose for yourself, the system deems you a criminal. How can you truly have a purpose, a will of your own, if it's chosen for you?" he questioned. 

Akanw thought about Kougami and his descent into becoming a latent criminal. He chose to walk that path, chose not to seek help. But he had done nothing wrong besides grieve a friend and try to avenge him… "Why do you choose to hold me captive and torment me? Is that where you get your sense of purpose? Control?" 

He let out a low chuckle, leaning back in the chair and his hand came up to run through her dark hair, grabbing it and forcing her head back so she could see him. "I like seeing how unpredictable it makes Shinya. I like that he has no idea what I'm doing with you and the hound can't seem to find my trail. I want to see what his true colors are once he finds me. And hopefully he won't disappoint."

* * *

He was days behind the bastard. Saiga had helped clear his head but the final piece to the puzzle wasn't something either could figure out with a cold trail. But as if to keep the game rolling; Makishima contacted him for a second time and this time it led him to a broken down cabin in the middle of nowhere. The footprints left behind were only hours old and he hoped the man wanted the game to continue desperately enough to leave another clue. But while the murderer enjoyed the thrill, Ko wasn't going naive enough to believe Makishima would willingly give away his plan so easily. 

Cautiously he headed inside the cabin. His gun was raised and he swept the area, starting with the small living space and the kitchen. He stopped when he stepped on something hard. Kougami lifted his boot to see an old steel wrench on the ground. His brows furrowed as he looked down at it. It was old and worn so there was no practical use for it which left only one answer on why it was on the floor. He wanted to scold her for being so reckless but if he was in her shoes, he wasn't sure if he would have done anything differently. He just hoped she was okay.

He kicked the wrench aside, continuing his sweep. He moved down the hallway and entered the bedroom. Besides a few pieces of furniture it was completely bare. There was no sign of either of them ever being here besides the lone wrench on the ground and even then it couldn't prove it had been them. But as much as he didn't trust the man, he knew it wasn't Makishima's style to lead him on a wild goose chase for no reason. Kougami looked through the room before opening the door to the bathroom. He was still on guard, gun raised, when he entered and what he said made his whole body grow cold. 

He moved further into the space, crouching down to examine the small pile of clothes on the floor. There was no doubt in his mind that it belonged to Akane. The white blouse, dark pencil skirt… He put the gun in his back pocket, picking up the blouse and examining it closely; there was no blood, just dirt. He set it down and picked up the skirt and was relieved to find the same. He wouldn't have killed her, not without doing it in some way that benefited him but Shinya was glad to know that it didn't seem too look like he had tortured her either. But the small bit of relief was gone by the time he set the skirt aside. There was another article of clothing laying on the ground, a pair of women's underwear. His body went stiff and this burning sensation filled his chest. Had he touched her? 

The ex-enforcer stood up, fist clenched so hard he felt his nails digging into his palms, he was shaking, he couldn't remember the last time he felt this much emotion. He was going to kill him. He was going to rip his throat out for taking her. He wondered what his Crime Coefficient looked like now. What color would it be? What was the appropriate judgment for feeling this way towards a monster? He was going to be executed because he ran off to save his Inspector and kill the man who touched her? He knew Sibyl wasn't justice but now he realized how horribly flawed it was. 

Ko closed his eyes and forced himself to take in a deep breath. He wouldn't be able to think clearly with all this rage so he would have to set it aside for now. Why would Makashima come all the way out there? There was nothing but rice farms from here out. If he wanted a place to lay low he would have stayed hidden in this cabin but he didn't. And he already made it clear that he was still testing Kougami. What would he do in Makishima's place? There was nothing out here but rice…

An old case came to mind involving Japan's food industry and a mysterious allergy to Hyper Oats. He was a newbie inspector still and it was the first time he realized how crucial Hyper Oats was to Japan's way of life. The country would have completely collapsed without it due to the famine but it was thanks to one man that they were able to completely turn the tide with the food shortage. That was what separates Japan from other countries and it was what contributed the most to their countries success while everyone else in the world was collapsing. If Kougami wanted to take down Sibyl and start a system collapse that's how he would do it. He'd go after Japan's food source. 

He brought up his phone to call Shion. She was the only one he trusted to even pick up the phone. He needed to alert the MWPSB, he wasn't arrogant enough to believe he could go up against the man alone. 

"Checking up on me or do you have something of interest?" came the sweet sultry voice of the blonde. 

"I'm sending you my location. What's the nearest harvesting plant from here?" 

"You think he's after the food supply?" She asked 

Kougami made his way out of the Cabin, hopping back on his bike. "I know he is. We need to hurry, he's hours ahead of us already." 

He heard her typing on her keyboard as he waited impatient for the results. "Okay. It seems like the closest is three hours away. It's fully automated so there's no staff on sight."

"Send me the location and get the team headed there. But they need to be smart. He has Tsunemori and if he's spooked he'll use her as leverage."

"Already done. But before you go, I have a favor to ask you, Shinya." She said in a soft voice. 

"What is it?" he huffed in patiently. 

"Bring her back safely and make the bastard pay for it."

Kougami grinned, "will do Shion."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As time progresses I seem to have a harder time writing Makishima and I apologize if he seems too OOC. Although I'm a bit proud of myself for bringing in Frankenstein in to this anology. I believe if he had lived longer/ had more time for us to get to know him I feel this would have also been a book he enjoyed. Fate vs free will has always been an interesting topic for me.
> 
> Do you believe in fate? Or is everything we do bound by our actions?


End file.
